Chapter 296: Chapter 296: To Force Her to Give In?
Lin Qi asked, “Why do you want me to go to your office? I still have training classes in the afternoon.”
Huo Tingdong replied without a second thought, “I’ll have Qi Lingchuan ask for leave on your behalf.”
After speaking, he ate something casually and left.
Lin Qi was dumbfounded.
From his tone, there was no indication that he wanted to discuss marriage with her. Those who were unaware might even think he was calling her to his office to scold her!
After finishing her meal, Lin Qi returned to the office with Qi Lingchuan.
As soon as she entered the workplace, the office suddenly became quiet.
Colleagues lifted their heads to look at her, their eyes filled with suspicion, scrutiny, and assessment.
Just as Lin Qi sat down at her seat, Han Na leaned in and whispered, “They were all discussing how you had lunch with Mr. Huo at the same table, and he personally picked up a chicken drumstick for you!”
Lin Qi was indifferent: “What’s there to discuss about that?”
Han Na said, “They all think you know Mr. Huo.”
Lin Qi thought for a moment and gave an ambiguous answer, “You could say that I know him.”
Han Na’s eyes widened with excitement, her face flushed, “Lin Qi, you’re not related to Mr. Huo, are you?”
The other office colleagues were also speculating; they had long suspected that Lin Qi was a special appointee, but they had not expected that her backing was Huo Tingdong!
If she had gotten the position thanks to Huo Tingdong’s influence, they could not really say much.
After all, they could offend anyone but not Huo Tingdong. If Lin Qi really was a relative of Huo Tingdong, then they would have to respectfully keep their distance from her from hereon!
Lin Qi said, “Nana, I’ll talk to you later, I have something to do now.”
Han Na asked, “Is it for your training class?”
Lin Qi shook her head, “I’ll tell you when I get back.”
She always felt that Huo Tingdong calling her to his office must be for something very important.
She tidied up her desk and then left the workplace.
At the entrance to the President’s office.
Lin Qi pushed the door and walked in.
The spacious office was occupied only by Huo Tingdong and Mo Ke.
As soon as Mo Ke saw Lin Qi, he immediately said to Huo Tingdong, “Mr. Huo, I’ll step out first.”
Huo Tingdong replied with a “Hmm.”
Right after Mo Ke had left the office, Lin Qi walked up to the desk, hands behind her back, and asked, “You called me to your office, what’s the matter?”
Huo Tingdong frowned and said, “Do you need to stand so far away?”
Lin Qi walked around the desk and took a few steps closer to him, “How about now?”
Huo Tingdong raised his hand, his voice tender, “Come here.”
Lin Qi looked around cautiously, worried that someone might suddenly come in. Seeing her hesitation, Huo Tingdong slightly furrowed his brows, raised his hand, and in one swift motion, pulled her into his embrace, onto his lap.
“There is no one else here; you don’t need to be so cautious.”
Huo Tingdong gently held the back of her neck and kissed her soft lips, his usual stern demeanor towards employees and subordinates replaced with indulgence and tenderness, “You don’t need to avoid suspicion to such an extent.”
Lin Qi said awkwardly, “I’m afraid someone will come in.”
Huo Tingdong replied, “This is my office; no one can come in without my permission.”
As he spoke, he held her hand and brazenly brought his handsome face close to hers, “Give me a kiss.”
Lin Qi, blushing, cupped his handsome face in her hands and kissed him on the cheek.
Only then did Huo Tingdong seem satisfied, pinching her cheek lightly, “Did you have enough to eat at noon?”
Lin Qi, recalling the lunch incident, curiously asked, “Why did you come to the cafeteria today?”
Huo Tingdong replied, “I missed you, and wanted to have lunch with you.”
Lin Qi laughed, “Then you can come to the cafeteria every day and eat with me.”
Huo Tingdong responded with a “Hmm,” then changing the subject, “This morning, I went back to the Huo Family home.”
Lin Qi, surprised, asked, “No wonder I bumped into you leaving the office this morning without a meeting. What did you go to the Huo Family home for?”
Huo Tingdong said, “Originally, I had someone arranged to pick up Song Shuyan today and take her to the hospital to take care of the child in her stomach. But, my grandmother beat me to it and had her brought back to the Huo Family.”
Lin Qi took a sharp breath in shock, “Your grandmother?”
Huo Tingdong nodded, “Yes. Song Shuyan must have called my grandmother. She was afraid I would force Song Shuyan to terminate the pregnancy, so she took her away instead.”
Lin Qi’s face went ashen.
She felt that the Old Lady was doing this to target her.
After all, not long before, she had a falling out with the Old Lady over the matter of “naming rights” for Momo, and subsequently, the Old Lady even called to provoke and threaten her, saying aggressively over the phone that Huo Tingdong didn’t lack a son like Momo, and that there were plenty of women willing to give birth to a son for him, to carry on his surname.
At the time, she felt something was off, and now, thinking it over, the Old Lady might have already known about Song Shuyan’s pregnancy.
Lin Qi voiced, “The Old Lady must be very dissatisfied with me. Maybe, she wants to use Song Shuyan’s situation to pressure me, to make me submit.”
Huo Tingdong said, “I’ve already brought up the matter of dividing the family assets.”
Lin Qi was alarmed, “Divide the family assets?”
What did he mean by that?
As far as she knew, the vast majority of the Huo Family’s assets were in Huo Tingdong’s hands.
Huo Tingdong was an only child.
In the past, after Huo Yanlin remarried and Mr. Huo forced Huo Yanlin to divide the assets, all the properties were inherited fully by Huo Tingdong. What did he mean by “dividing the family assets”? Did he still need to divide with anyone else?
Huo Tingdong explained, “Dividing the family assets means, from now on, the Huo Family’s assets are theirs, and mine are mine. Moreover, I will make early arrangements for my properties. Tomorrow, I’ll have a wealth management lawyer draw up a property agreement to completely divide all assets under my name.”
Lin Qi stood there stunned, “Why did you suddenly decide to divide the family assets?”
Huo Tingdong said, “Because, I only acknowledge my child with you. I refuse to acknowledge children from any other woman.”
He knew Song Shuyan’s purpose; she just wanted to secure her position through her child, desperately trying to have his child, for the sake of living in luxury.
After all, legally, even illegitimate children enjoy the same rights as those born in wedlock.
Song Shuyan was betting everything on this fact.
But he wouldn’t play along.
Within a month, he would have all his assets planned out, divided into three parts: one part for Han, one for Momo, and the remainder would be their mutual marital assets.
Once the assets are meticulously divided, even if Song Shuyan insists on giving birth to the child, she wouldn’t get a penny from his estate.
That was why he mentioned the matter of registering their marriage to Lin Qi.
Lin Qi finally realized, “So, you want to get our marriage certificate to transfer the assets to my name?”
Huo Tingdong confirmed with a “Hmm.”
Lin Qi had not expected Huo Tingdong to go to such lengths.
After all, it involved such a huge amount of assets – this was no small move. Regardless of how discreet Huo Tingdong wished to handle this, it was bound to cause a significant impact.